Barbecue device

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to a barbecue device. The barbecue comprises two cooking plates wherein a first cooking plate comprises two hinge joints at both rear ends, each joint including an elliptical cavity, a shoulder on its inner wall, and a rib projected from the inner wall, and a second pivotal cooking plate comprises two arc rabbets corresponding to the hinge joint, each arc rabbet adapted to fit onto the joint and slide thereon; and an inverted U-shaped handle pivotably secured to the first cooking plate and comprising two rotation portions at its both ends, each rotation portion including a projecting pin inserted into the cavity, disposed at one end thereof, and being lengthwise slidable therein, and a projecting stop member being parallel to the pin. The hinge is adapted to adjust an angle between the cooking plates in response to different thickness of foodstuffs or the number of foodstuffs to be broiled.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of Invention

The present invention relates to cooking appliances and moreparticularly to a barbecue having an improved hinge mechanism foradjusting an angle between two cooking plates thereof in response todifferent thickness of foodstuffs or the number of foodstuffs to bebroiled.

2. Related Art

Conventionally, barbecue is held in an open area (e.g., park) where meatis broiled on a grill over a charcoal fire. Ashes may be left on theplace after barbecuing. This is not desirable. Recently, a barbecuecapable of being easily assembled is available. Such barbecues areparticularly suitable for garden. While it is advantageous for keepingthe environment clean it is also disadvantageous for being unstableafter assembly. More recently, many improvements (e.g., temperaturesetting, grease collecting cups, etc.) are found in commerciallyavailable barbecues. Thus, continuing improvements in the development ofbarbecues are constantly being sought in order to contributesignificantly to the advancement of the art.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a barbecuedevice with an improved hinge mechanism adapted to adjust an anglebetween two cooking plates of the barbecue in response to differentthickness of foodstuffs or the number of foodstuffs to be broiled.

The above and other objects of the present invention are realized byproviding a barbecue comprising first and second cooking plates whereinthe first cooking plate comprises two hinge joints at both ends of arear side, each hinge joint being of hollow cylinder and including anelliptical cavity and a shoulder on its inner wall, and a rib projectedfrom the inner wall toward its center, and the second pivotal cookingplate comprises two arc rabbets corresponding to the hinge joint, eacharc rabbet adapted to fit onto an outer surface of the hinge joint ofthe first cooking plate and slide thereon; and a substantially invertedU-shaped handle pivotably secured to the first cooking plate andcomprising two rotation portions at its both ends, each rotation portionincluding a projecting pin inserted into the cavity, disposed at one endthereof, and being lengthwise slidable therein, and a projecting stopmember being parallel to the pin; wherein for broiling thin foodstuffsthe handle is adapted to clockwise pivot with respect to the firstcooking plate from a closed position of the barbecue to a first openposition thereof until the stop member is stopped by the shoulder; forbroiling thick foodstuffs the handle is adapted to counterclockwisepivot with respect to the first cooking plate from the first openposition of the barbecue the closed position thereof; and for broiling aplurality of thin foodstuffs the handle is adapted to lift from thefirst open position of the barbecue until the pin is disposed at theother end of the cavity and the stop member clears the shouldertemporarily, and the second cooking plate is adapted to furtherclockwise pivot with respect to the first cooking plate until the secondcooking plate is substantially flush with the first cooking plate withthe pin disposed at one end of the cavity and the stop member stopped bythe rib.

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the presentinvention will become apparent from the following detailed descriptiontaken with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a preferred embodiment of a barbecueaccording to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the assembled barbecue with thin foodstuffsbeing broiled thereon in an open position thereof according to oneembodiment of the invention;

FIG. 3 is a side view of the assembled barbecue where thick foodstuffsbeing broiled therein in a closed position thereof according to anotherembodiment of the invention;

FIG. 4A is a side view of the assembled barbecue where the handle haslifted to its maximum and is substantially perpendicular to its base;and

FIG. 4B is a side view of the assembled barbecue where the handle andthe second cooking plate have pivoted to a position substantially flushwith the base according to a further embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is shown a barbecue constructed inaccordance with the invention. The barbecue comprises two rectangularcooking plates 1 and 2, and an inverted U-shaped handle 3. The firstcooking plate 1 is fixedly formed on a base and comprises two hingejoints 11 at both ends of a rear side. Each hinge joint 11 is of hollowcylinder and comprises an elliptical cavity 111, a shoulder 112 on aninner wall of the hinge joint 11, and a rib 113 projected from the innerwall of the hinge joint 11 toward a center thereof. The second pivotalcooking plate 2 comprises two arc rabbets 21 corresponding to the hingejoint 11 of the first plate 1 and two holes 22 each at about center ofeither side. The arc rabbets 21 are adapted to fit onto an outer surfaceof the hinge joint 11 and slide thereon. The handle 3 comprises two pins31 each at about center of inner surface at either side. The pins 31adapted to insert into the holes 22 so that the handle 3 and the secondcooking plate 2 are pivotably coupled together. The handle 3 furthercomprises two rotation portions 32 each at the open end of each side.The rotation portion 32 comprises a projecting pin 321 inserted into thecavity 111 and being lengthwise slidable therein (i.e., a hingemechanism is formed), a projecting stop member 322 being parallel to thepin 321, and a projecting arcuate member 323 spaced from the pin 321.

Referring to FIG. 2 again, for broiling thin foodstuffs 4, pull thehandle 3 upwardly at about 90 degrees with respect to the first cookingplate 1 from a closed position of the barbecue to an open positionthereof as indicated by the arrow. After that, the second cooking plate2 is substantially perpendicular to the first cooking plate 1. At thisposition, the stop member 322 is stopped by the shoulder 112 and thebarbecue is thus stable.

Referring to FIG. 3, for broiling thick foodstuffs (not shown), pull thehandle 3 from the open position of the barbecue (see FIG. 2) to a closedposition thereof as indicated by the arrow. At this position, bothsurfaces of foodstuffs can be uniformly heated by the cooking plates 1and 2.

Referring to FIGS. 4A and 4B, for broiling a number of thin foodstuffs4A, lift the handle 3 from the position shown in FIG. 2 to its maximum(see FIG. 4A). At this position, the pin 321 is disposed at the otherend of the cavity 111 and the stop member 322 clears the shoulder 112temporarily. The second cooking plate 2 is thus made pivotal. Next,further clockwise pivot the second cooking plate 2 about 90 degrees withrespect to the first cooking plate 1 as indicated by the arrow in FIG.4B. After pivoting, the second cooking plate 2 is substantially flushwith the first cooking plate 1. At this position, the pin 321 isdisposed at one end of the cavity 111 the same as ones shown in FIGS. 2and 3, and the stop member 322 is stopped by the rib 113 and thebarbecue is thus stable.

While the invention herein disclosed has been described by means ofspecific embodiments, numerous modifications and variations could bemade thereto by those skilled in the art without departing from thescope and spirit of the invention set forth in the claims.

1. A barbecue comprising: a first cooking plate comprising two hingejoints at both ends of a rear side, each hinge joint being of hollowcylinder and including an elliptical cavity, a shoulder on its innerwall, and a rib projected from the inner wall toward its center; asecond cooking plate comprising two arc rabbets orresponding to thehinge joint of the first plate, each arc rabbet adapted to fit onto anouter surface of the hinge joint and slide thereon; and a substantiallyinverted U-shaped handle pivotably secured to the first cooking plateand comprising two rotation portions at its both ends, each rotationportion including a projecting pin inserted into the cavity, disposed atone end thereof, and being lengthwise slidable therein, and a projectingstop member being parallel to the pin; thereby the second cooking plateis pivotable to close to, perpendicular to or flush with the firstcooking plate and is stable by cooperation of the shoulders and ribs ofthe hinge joints and the pins and stop members of rotation portions soas to broiling different thickness of foodstuffs or the number offoodstuffs.